• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.531-536
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• 2014

Recently, the amounts of dredge sea soil in south Korea have been increasing because of various maintenance works at harbors and rivers. Dredged sea soil contains various contaminants. Hence, prior to recycling the dredged sea soil, the various contaminants should be removed to prevent a secondary contamination due to the leaching of hazardous chemicals. Pretreated dredged sea soil can be buried under the ground or used for land reclamation. In this study, however, pretreated dredged sea soil was used to investigate the level of pozzolanic activity. The properties of pretreated dredged sea soil were investigated, the method for heat treatment was determined, and the compressive strength of mortar using dredged sea soil was examined. According to the XRF result, the main components of dredged sea soil were $SiO_2$ of over 55%, and $Al_2O_3$ and $SO_3$ of some amounts. Results from XRD and TG/DTA showed that pretreated dredged sea soil can be used as a pozzolanic material. When dredged sea soil was thermally treated for 90 min at $550^{\circ}C$, a compressive strength result was similar to that of control mortar.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.456-464
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• 2010

Recently, heavy metals contamination of the agricultural soil and crops surrounding mining areas has been identified as one of the most serious environmental problems in South Korea. The Ministry of the Environment in Korea conducted a Preliminary National Environmental Health Survey (PNEHS) in abandoned metal mines in 2007. The priority for a subsequent detailed examination was ranked from the results of PNEHS. The studied mine which was ranked as being of the highest priority is located in the midwestern part of Korea and was operated from 1911 to 1985. In this study, the contamination levels of the heavy metals in the abandoned metal mine were investigated. From the results, the average daily dose (ADD), target hazard quotient (THQ) and target cancer risk of the heavy metals were evaluated. The concentration of arsenic (As) in all of the tailings from the mine was higher than its countermeasure standard of Korea. In particular, the highest concentration of As, 330 mg/kg, was up to 15 times higher than its countermeasure standard. The average concentration of As in agricultural soils was higher than the warning standard of Korea, and higher than its countermeasure standard at six sites. The average concentrations of the analyzed heavy metals in agricultural soil were below the warning standard, but concentrations of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) at 4 sites were higher than its warning standard. The average concentration of As in surface water exceeded the warning standard of Korea. The value of the THQ of As for the tailings was higher than the health protection standard 1. The value of THQ of As for the farmlands was lower than the standard, while the hazard index (HI) of As was higher than the standard. The value of target cancer risk (TCR) of As, $6.44{\times}10^{-4}$, were higher than the health protection standard of a lifetime risk for TCR at $1{\times}10^{-6}$. This suggests that the residents around the metal mines are exposed to As pollution with a carcinogenic risk.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.12 no.12
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• pp.21-30
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• 2011

The recycled soil that is proceeded from demolition concrete structures was analyzed by the methods of the physical and mechanical tests of soil and TCLP test to use the soil in low landfilling for the construction of an industrial complex. The laboratory test for diffusion of alkali ion in soil mass was analyzed by the methods of XRF and ICP. The fish toxicity test was also conducted to find an environmental influence. The recycled soil through the laboratory test satisfied the engineering property for low landfilling and the criteria of soil contamination. However, the solution which producted by 1:1 ratio of recycled soil and water contained the high pH concentration by alkali ion. The calcium hydroxide solution by CSH cement paste was estimated as the main reason why pH concentration is increased more than 9.0. The high pH concentration in recycled soils causes a toxicity to the livability of fishes. A diffusion area of pH concentration in the ground was analyzed by the Visual Modflow Ver. 2009 program based on geotechnical investigation. The high pH concentration in the recycled soils can be remained as high value due to cement paste in the long term period. Therefore, in the early stage of landfilling work, the mixing with the weathered granite soil is necessary to control the pH concentration.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.45-69
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• 2014

The groundwater has been a major source of water supply throughout the ages. Around 50% of the rural as well as urban population in the developing countries like India depends on groundwater for drinking. The groundwater is also an important source in the agriculture and industrial sector. In many parts of the world, groundwater resources are under increasing threat from growing demands, wasteful use and contamination. A good planning and management practices are needed to face this challenge. A key to the management of groundwater is the ability to model the movement of fluids and contaminants in the subsurface environment. It is obvious that the contaminant source activities cannot be completely eliminated and perhaps our water bodies will continue to serve as receptors of vast quantities of waste. In such a scenario, the goal of water quality protection efforts must necessarily be the control and management of these sources to ensure that released pollutants will be sufficiently attenuated within the region of interest and the quality of water at points of withdrawal is not impaired. In order to understand the behaviour of contaminant transport through different types of media, several researchers are carrying out experimental investigations through laboratory and field studies. Many of them are working on the analytical and numerical studies to simulate the movement of contaminants in soil and groundwater of the contaminant transport. With the advent of high power computers especially, a numerical modelling has gained popularity and is indeed of particular relevance in this regard. This paper provides the state of the art of contaminant transport and reviews the allied research works carried out through experimental investigation or using the analytical solution and numerical method. The review involves the investigation in respect of both, saturated and unsaturated, porous media.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.383-389
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• 2004

Understanding flow pattern of water and solute in subsurface is essential for the reduction and prevention of contamination of soil and groundwater and for the investigation and remediation of contaminated site. The objective of this study is to examine the infiltration pattern in a soil developed from the Jurassic granite using (Brilliant Blue FCF $C_{37}H_{34}N_{2}Na_{2}O_{9}S_{3}$), the nonfluorescent and nontoxic food dye. All image processing was conducted using geographic image processing software, ER Mapper, Version 6.2. The dye coverage was determined by counting the stained pixels in the photographs (80${\times}$80cm, 80TEX>${\times}$5cm) for the vertical and horizontal view. A homogeneous matrix flow occurred in the A horizon with weak, medium granular structure and fingering at the interface of finer-textured A horizon and coarser-textured C horizon. Pegmatitic vein originated from the granite and plant root in C horizon induced preferential flow.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 1997.05a
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• pp.17-20
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• 1997

이 연구에서는 국내에 산재되어 있는 금속광산들에 대한 토양환경오염을 조사하고 적절한 환경처리를 위한 기초자료를 제공하기 위하여 대표적인 연-아연광산, 동광산 및 금-은광산을 대상으로 As. Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn 등의 오염규모와 분산정도를 규명하고자 하였다. 연구대상지역으로 삼보 연-아연강산, 달성 동-텅스텐광산 그리고 구봉, 삼광, 금왕 금-은광산을 선정하여 이들 광산 주변에서 토양을 채취하여 화학분석을 실시하였다. 그리고 연속추출법을 이용하여 토양중에 존재하는 중금속의 존재형태를 규명하였으며 화학분해방법에 따른 중금속의 추출정도를 고찰하기 위하여 강산을 이용한 분해방법과 토양환경보전법에 제시된 방법을 비교하였다. 화학분석 결과, 삼보광산 주변의 상부토양 (0-15cm 심도)에서는 평균 11.8 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g Cd, 208 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g Cu, 2,700 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g Pb, 8,300 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g Zn이 검출되었으며 일부 농경지에서는 토양환경보전법의 우려기준을 초과하는 중금속이 검출되어 광산활동에 의한 토양오염이 심각함이 조사되었다. 달성광산 주변 토양에서도 다량의 중금속이 검출되었으며 (평균 4.4 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g Cd, 1,950 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g Cu, 1,030 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g Pb, 419 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g Zn) 특히 As (평균 2,500 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g)의 오염이 심각하였다. 그리고 대표적인 금은광산인 구봉, 삼광 및 금왕광산에서는 광미와 선광장 주변에서 다량의 중금속과 As가 검출되었다. 이 연구 결과, 이들 점오염원에 대한 오염정도가 심각하므로 이를 적절하게 처리할 수 있는 오염복구사업이 실시되어야할 것으로 판단된다.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.785-790
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate the hazards from onions and their cultivation areas. A total of 32 samples were collected from onion farms and tested for biological (sanitary indicators, and pathogenic bacteria and fungi) and chemical (heavy metals and pesticide residues) hazards. Aerobic bacteria and coliforms were detected at a level of 0.2-7.1 log CFU/g (or mL) in the soil and agricultural water, 1.6-3.6 log CFU/g on surface of the onion, 0.0-6.0 log CFU/hand (or $cm^2$) on the workers' hands, clothes, and gloves, and 4.7 log $CFU/cm^2$ on the onion bags. Fungi were detected at a level of 0.0-5.0 log CFU/g (or mL, hand, or 100 $cm^2$) in all the samples. Staphylococcus aureus was detected at a level of 1.2 log CFU/hand on the workers' hands, the detection level of Bacillus cereus was up to 4.8 log CFU/g in the soil. However, Escherichia coli (and in particular strain O157:H7), Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp. were not detected. Although heavy metals were detected in the environment (in soil and agricultural water) and pesticide residues were detected in onion, the levels were lower than the regulation limits.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.268-277
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• 2014

This study assessed microbiological hazards at postharvest stage of dropwort farms (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I) located in 4 different areas in Korea. The samples were assessed for sanitary indication bacteria (total aerobic bacteria, coliform, and Escherichia coli) and pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus). Total aerobic bacteria and coliform in 9 dropwort farms were detected at the levels of 0~7.00 and 0~4.25 log CFU/g, mL, of $100cm^2$. In particular, microbial contamination in worker's hand showed higher than cultivation environment factors. Escherichia coli was detected in several farms of soil, irrigation water, washing water and worker's hand and also, dropwort in these farms was contaminated with E. coli (positive reaction). In case of pathogenic bacteria, B. cereus was detected at the highest levels in soil. S. aureus was detected qualitatively from only one sample of dropwort washed by water. E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes were not detected. Although dropwort pass through 2 process (trimming and washing), the microbial contamination was not differ significantly before and after which indicates that current washing system was not effect on reduction of microorganism. From these results, the postharvest environment and workers have been considered as cross-contamination factors. Thus, processing equipments and personal hygiene should be managed to reduce the microbial contamination of dropwort. Accordingly management system such as good agricultural practices (GAP) criteria is needed for the safety of dropwort

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.141-158
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• 2019

The quantity of heavy metals in agricultural surface and subsurface soils around coal-fired power plants located in Samcheonpo and Hadong, Gyeongnam Province, were determined. The analytical results for 48 and 61 soils in Samcheonpo and Hadong, respectively, showed that the concentrations of Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn were below the warning criteria regulated by Korean Soil Conservation Act; however, Cd in 38 and 13 soils in Samcheonpo and Hadong, respectively, exceeded the criterion. As a result of calculation of the geoaccumulation index and the enrichment factor, the soils were extremely contaminated with Cd and such high loading of Cd to the soils was due to anthropogenic source(s). Sequential extraction of the soils, however, showed that heavy metals including Cd existed as hardly extractable phases, which represented a low bioavailability of the heavy metals. Our results indicated that Cd contamination around the coal-fired power plants was due to artificial source(s) and may unlikely deteriorate nearby ecosystems.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.47-56
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• 1999

$^{15}N$-Isotope concentrations of groundwater from l4 wells with different land-use types in Kyonggi Province were measured to investigate the nitrate contamination sources. Water samples were collected monthly from January to December 1997 and analyzed for pH. PC, anions (fluoride, chloride, nitrate, sulfate, inorganic phosphate, and bicarbonate), and canons (calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium). For the analysis of the $^{15}N/^{14}N$ ratio as ${\delta}^{15}N$, $N_2$ samples were prepared through Kjeldahl-Rittenberg method and were analyzed using an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (VG Optima IRMS). Reproducibility of the method and precision of the IRMS were below 1.0‰ and 0.1‰, respectively. The ionic composition of each groundwater sample was only slightly different according to the land-use type. The nitrate concentrations of groundwater in cropland or livestock farming areas were higher than those in the residential area. The percentages of nitrate to total anions of groundwater samples from the livestock farming area were higher than those of other areas. The ${\delta}^{15}N$ values of ammonium sulfate, urea, groundwater sample in the non-contaminated area, and water from the animal manure septic tank were -2.7, 1.4, 5.5, and 27.2‰, respectively. Based on the ${\delta}^{15}N$ values, the sources of nitrate could be classified as originated from chemical fertilizers with ${\delta}^{15}N$ values below 5% and as from animal manure or municipal waste with ${\delta}^{15}N$ values over 10‰. In most cases, contamination sources investigated from ${\delta}^{15}N$ values of groundwater samples were correlated with the specific sources according to the land-use types. However, some ${\delta}^{15}N$ values did not matched the apparent land-use types, and there were seasonal variations of ${\delta}^{15}N$ values within the same well. These results suggest that the groundwater quality was affected by two or more contamination sources and the contribution of each source to the groundwater quality varied depending on the sampling season.